AND IN THE END: The Yankees are 26-15 in series finales and?have won six of their last nine finales at home. They are 10-5 in the rubber game of a three-game series this season.

SPECIAL OCCASION: Prior to today’s game, the Yankees host “Special Olympics Day at Yankee Stadium.”?Approximately 20 Special Olympics athletes, all from the Bronx, will take part in a “Field of Dreams,” joining Yankees players at their respective positions on the field for the National Anthem.

40 STRONG: Derek Jeter leads the Majors with 41 hits in August. That matches his most hits in a month since the start of 2010 (also August of 2011). This is the 15th time in his career that Jeter has recorded at least 40 hits in a month. According to Elias, that marks the most such months by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio, who compiled 17 months with at least 40 hits.

UPDATE, 1:26 p.m.: What do ya know, Jones just singled up the middle for an RBI and a 1-0 Yankees lead. Here’s Granderson at the plate with one out and runners at the corners.

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: Blue Jays can’t turn two and the Yankees get another run. That’s a 2-0 lead with Sabathia on the mound.

UPDATE, 1:32 p.m.: Back swing got Stewart. He seems fine. Must suck to play a position where you can get hit in the head by a bat, and it’s just part of the job.

UPDATE, 1:52 p.m.: Nix makes up for his error by starting a 5-2 double play. Second night in a row that the Yankees have gotten an unusual double play to get them out of trouble.

UPDATE, 1:57 p.m.: Back-to-back two-out RBI singles have tied the game at 2. Sabathia was one pitch away from ending this inning with a two-run lead.

UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: RBI double has the Blue Jays in the lead 3-2. Three straight two-out hits given up by Sabathia.

UPDATE, 2:40 p.m.: Yankees hottest hitters — Swisher and Cano — come the plate with the bases loaded, and neither one drives in a run. Missed opportunity and the Yankees lead is still 4-3.

UPDATE, 2:56 p.m.: That was a full-count pitch to Escobar, and he hammered it to left for a no-doubt, two-run homer. The Blue Jays are back in front 5-4.

UPDATE, 3:31 p.m.: Big at-bat for Jones. There’s a lefty up in the Blue Jays pen — which is the reason Ibanez isn’t pinch hitting — so Jones has an RBI opportunity with a runner at second and one out against a right-hander.

UPDATE, 3:54 p.m.: Excellent bunt by Mathis brings in one insurance run for the Blue Jays. The Yankees have burned through three relievers this inning. Might have used only two — or only one — if Derek Lowe hadn’t gotten himself in trouble with a double and a bunt single.

UPDATE, 4:05 p.m.: Lucky bounce off the third-base bag gives Martin an RBI double to pull the Yankees within a run.

UPDATE, 4:07 p.m.: Soriano is up in the Yankees bullpen.

UPDATE, 4:08 p.m.: Looked like a sure bloop single for Ichiro, but Rasmus was playing fairly shallow and made a nice diving catch to take away the hit and leave Martin at second. Still just one out and a chance to tie with a base hit.

UPDATE, 4:19 p.m.: It’s not only guys like Jones and Pearce who are missing opporutnities to drive in runs today. Jeter, Cano and Swisher have as well. Jeter just flied out to leave a runner at second base in the eighth, and now the Yankees trail by one heading into the ninth. Eppley is staying in the game to pitch with Clay Rapada getting loose in the bullpen.

UPDATE, 4:24 p.m.: I don’t think Chavez saw that ball off the bat. Bad bounce and it’s an E-5.